HTC Exodus: the blockchain phone

Blockchain is everywhere at the moment, with the technology making headlines around the world with its potentially game-changing applications (as well as frequent valuing fluctuations)

HTC appears to be the latest company to jump on the blockchain bandwagon, announcing the Exodus – what it calls the first major blockchain-powered smartphone.

The Taiwanese firm has not had the smoothest ride in the smartphone market in recent months, having made a raft of recent job cuts, device shipments dwindling across the world and its most recent U12 Plus flagship receiving somewhat mixed reviews.

The HTC Exodus is the brainchild of Phil Chen, who was the driving force behind the Vive virtual reality headset, and forms the start of a major blockchain push as the company looks to return to winning ways.

HTC says it wants to “make decentralization a reality”, expanding the blockchain ecosystem through a connected network of mobile devices – so could the HTC Exodus be the start of a new generation? Here’s everything we know so far…

The key details:

Given that HTC only recently released the U12 Plus, it would make sense that the company would look to spread out its launches.

So far, HTC has only said that the Exodus will launch in the third quarter, meaning some time between July and September.

Given that many big manufacturers often carry out major launches in September, it would make sense for HTC to launch the Exodus sooner rather than later – however in terms of specific dates, it’s still TBC at the moment.

There’s no indication on price yet either, although HTC Exodus head Phil Chen recently told The Verge that the device would be “comparable” to the $1000 Finney blockchain-powered phone released by Sirin Labs last year.

Chen also said that the HTC Exodus will launch “definitely everywhere outside of China” – with that exclusion being down to China’s stringent rules and regulations on technology. But as of yet, there’s still no specific details.

So how will a blockchain phone work?

Blockchain technology may be flavor of the month, but it’s not at first glance an ideal fit for smartphones – as high-stakes trading and cryptocurrency mining often requires hugely powerful hardware.

HTC is looking to start something completely new with the Exodus, claiming that the device is the launchpad for its new native blockchain network ecosystem, with the individual Exodus devices acting as nodes for trading amongst users.

For those all-important trades, the device will include a cold storage wallet that will support all major cryptocurrencies, including the likes of Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as decentralised apps.

The cold storage hardware is important as it means that the Exodus will be able to store the user’s cryptocurrency offline, often on a separate web server or other hardware, adding an extra layer of security

Blockchain technology should ensure extra security due to high-level encryption tools, as well as the ability to connect to superfast networks to ensure speedy transactions – Chen notes that the device will be “the most secure hardware wallet out there.”

Lastly, it’s also worth noting that Exodus is already the name of a well-known online cryptocurrency wallet service, offering an “all-in-one wallet to secure, manage and exchange blockchain assets” – which could well be the backbone of HTC’s new approach.

Overall though, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, so now it’s over to HTC to prove it has what it takes to make the Exodus a success.

What else do we know?

HTC has already said that the device will run Android software, meaning that all Google’s usual familiar services will be present and correct – most likely with some HTC-flavoured additions and skins on top.

As for hardware though, we’re still none the wiser – and HTC is got giving anything away just yet.

However it will need to be fairly powerful to cope with cryptocurrency mining, which will mean most probably an octa-core processor and a hefty amount of RAM, along with a sizeable battery to power all of this.

And despite HTC may claim, the Exodus is not the world’s first blockchain phone. That title belongs to the little-know Finney phone, which was revealed earlier this year.

Created by Sirin Labs, the $1,000 device allowed users to store and spend digital currencies without incurring transaction fees.